The rules of the competition.

1. The rules of the competition. The competition is open to full time students aged 16 and over in secondary education.
2. Entrants must write an essay of no more than 750 words on the importance of financial education. The title of the essay is 'Are today's teenagers ill-prepared to manage their money when they leave school? What can be done to improve financial education?'.
3. All entries must include a 75 word (max length) summary at the top of the essay.
4. All entries must be received by 27th May 2006. The winners will be selected and notified by 21st July 2006.
5. All essays must be typed. Hand written entries will be disqualified.
6. Entrants consent to Baillie Gifford & Co holding the copyright of their essay and having the right to publish the essay in any publication it chooses.
7. Photos may be taken of the winners. Entrants consent to Baillie Gifford & Co holding the copyright of these images and publishing them in any publication it chooses.
8. Entrants confirm that the essay is their own, original work.
9. First prize is a laptop computer. Regional winners will each be awarded prizes to the value of £250. Prizes are not exchangeable and no cash alternative will be made. Baillie Gifford & Co takes no responsibility for the prizes once they have been awarded and delivered to the winner. This includes any damage, misplacement or theft of prizes.
10. Entries must be accompanied by the entrants name, address, contact number, age and name and address of school/college.
11. The competition is open to the first 3,000 entries received only. The first 3,000 entries received will be judged. Once this cut off point is reached any additional entries received will not be judged.
12. 15 essays per region (The North & Scotland, the Midlands & Wales and the South & South West) will be selected by an initial judging panel.
13. The 45 selected essays will be judged by Chris Fletcher (Head of Retail Investments, Baillie Gifford), Wendy van den Hende (Chief Executive, Personal Finance Education Group) and Jeff Prestridge (Personal Finance Editor, The Mail on Sunday) who will select the overall winner and three regional winners.
14. Essay entries will be judged on relevance, ability to argue from different points of view and ideas discussed.
15. Essays must be sent to: 'Essay Competition', Baillie Gifford, Freepost, Calton Square, 1 Greenside Row, Edinburgh EH1 0BR. Email entries should be sent to essaycompetition@bailliegifford.com or submitted through our website at www.bailliegifford.com/essay
16. Only one entry per student will be allowed.
17. Entries that are altered or are not in accordance with the rules will be disqualified.
18. Please do not enclose other correspondence with entries.
19. Responsibility will not be accepted for entries lost, delayed or damaged in the post. Proof of posting is not accepted as proof of delivery.
20. The judges' decision is final; no correspondence will be entered into.
21. The names of the winners will be available on request.